5 day black out,....

kv69 · Feb 10, 2016

You could also remove the rock from tank and soak with hydrogen peroxide for 5 minutes and scrape or scrub the bubble algae off as well as you can, rinse well and return it to your tank. It will kill the bubble algae and any left over will wither away.

Reeflogic · Feb 10, 2016

kv69 said:
You could also remove the rock from tank and soak with hydrogen peroxide for 5 minutes and scrape or scrub the bubble algae off as well as you can, rinse well and return it to your tank. It will kill the bubble algae and any left over will wither away.

Yeah, this was my recommendation as well, (earlier posts) but if he doesn't treat the rocks for phosphates, it won't be long until bubble or another nasty algae will be back causing the same headaches, unfortunately.

Mark75 · Feb 10, 2016

Is the rock leaching phosphates and will it continue without treatment? That is the million dollar question!

I really, really hate the thought of starting over with bleach white rock and having to cycle again but I do not want to continue dealing with these same issues. I can add fish in one month and would really like my tank in shape before than.

Reeflogic · Feb 10, 2016

It was a few years ago, I think 2012, when I was reading horror stories of Marco rock and people dealing with various nuisance algae and their inability to rid the problem, even with ULNS!! I remember a few guys that eventually just broke down and nuked it, I honestly do not remember reading anyone that just rode it out and lived to tell about it, so I cannot say that you will be ok or not.

The only "happy ending" posts I remember reading, where folks rode it out, were using BRS Pukani and they said that the leaching eventually stopped.

I see where you are pulling hair though, you either nuke it and recycle, or peroxide it and hope for the best. It sucks, but I would try and find any forum posts from over the years that might give you an idea of whether or not the phosphates will eventually stop leaching. I'm working atm, but will try and dig up some happy endings to share with you, if there are any! Hang in there Mark!

NanaReefer · Feb 10, 2016

Not all of us have been where you are to that extreme. However by sharing your experience you may just save another's tank.
Please don't give up! Cry on our shoulders, rant and rave all you need. We're here for you.
Step back, plan and start fresh.
You've given me a new appreciation for my own tank. One I've been complaining about for over a year. It could be worse right?!

Reeflogic · Feb 10, 2016

Mark, I know I said I was working, but I had to Google lol. Most of the negative "phosphate Marco rock" threads were from 2012 and before, I'm not seeing many current threads discussing this. I did see one thread where it was discussed that the leaching appeared to have stopped after 5 months or so. So I think it's really going to boil down to your patience with it. Personally, I'd go the peroxide route and frequent water changes and give it time.

You are obviously a skilled reefer and I'm only asking these questions to try and help, it is in no way an insult to your husbandry of the tank, the photo you posted speaks for itself, but have you checked your water source? Maybe old filters in the RODI? Did you maybe have some die off of snails or something else in the system that maybe spiked the nutrients? I'd think maybe you hit a spike from another source, such as the stump remover. Did you go months without any signs of algae on the rocks? Most of the threads I read seemed to have algae issues almost immediately due to the leaching.

So from an outsider point of view, maybe it's not the rocks? You may have already posted it, but did the algae exist before you dosed the stump remover? I'm reaching here, trying to find that glimmer of hope, because I feel your pain man! Brainstorm and follow your gut, you'll feel better down the road knowing you did what you felt was best for you and the tank.

Reeflogic · Feb 10, 2016

Not to derail the importance of this thread, I just wanted to give a shout out to @NanaReefer , I recently relocated from Battle Creek, MI. The family and I LOVED spending time in the UP!!! One of my favorites places in the States!!

Mark75 · Feb 10, 2016

I have had the bubble algae from the start. Hanna checker for phosphates reads .003-.006, nitrates where undetectable on Salifert and confirmed by other testers/test kits at a club meeting. I started dosing stump remover because I was fishless due to Ich and my SPS where getting very pale and the new growth was thin and white. The bubble algae was uneffected by the nitrate dosing but I began to have cyano/diatom issues. I went lights out for 5 days to slow the cyano and diatoms disappeared but the bubble algae was unaffected. I am not sure what bubble algae needs to survive but it is not light or nitrates!

The cyano grew back as soon as I turned the lights on,..even at a very "blue" 20k. My SPS are not looking very good, but not yet dead. I guess if they pull through it will change how I go about dealing with the bubble algae.

Wilsoni · Feb 10, 2016

I would definitely buy a ton of (small) Emerald Crabs. You will slowly see your bubble algae population diminish. Once it's manageable, return them to your LFS and manually remove the rest. Also starving the algae with something such as NO3: PO4-X may help speed up the process.

Just make sure the Emerald Crabs are green in color. Red Mithrax Crabs can be pale in color and they seem to be (less reef safe) My LFS sold me one with a batch of Emralds, saying it was the same and it would turn green upon consuming algae, however that wasn't the case. I saw it picking at my Micromussa colony and out came the tongs which helped escort him back to my LFS.

Your tank looks a little small for a Rabbit Fish IMHO

Reeflogic · Feb 10, 2016

Mark, I'm sure others have offered, but I have a 40g breeder set up as coral QT I'd be happy to house your SPS until you get the tank back in order. I use HW salt, it is lit by a T5 / LED fixture and I only have a few frags of zoas in there currently, so plenty of room. Not sure if that's an option you have considered, but the offer is there if you want. When I moved, my SPS were stressed after having to move tanks 3 times in order to get them here and once I got here I had to wait several days for the main tank to be set up and get wet, so they were in the garage, essentially cooking, I couldn't keep them below 84 degrees. I lost them all but one.... I would have loved to have someone house them for me, but didn't know anyone the first week we were here. Just let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Chriscrna · Feb 10, 2016

I use nothing but Marco Rock Key Largo dry rock. I purchased it all after 2012, so I can't speak to any Marco Rock before that.

But as far as my experience goes, I've never had a smidge of phosphates or nuisance algae. However, I put them through a muriatic acid bath beforehand to dissolve any potential phosphate laden outer layer. Not sure if that helped, but I assure you it didn't hurt.